Rotary tooth-cleaner



H. E. FRAME.

ROTARY TOOTH CLEANER.

mwucmwynun APR. 14, l9l6- 1,365,678. Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

a x 61m ucmro-z um I N a hrl UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE E. FRAME, 0F ."liIOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK.

ROTARY TOOTH-CLEANER.

Application filed April 14, 1916. Serial No. 91.006.

Toail whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HonAoE E. Fnaiun, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Mount Vernon, in the county of lVestchester and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RotaryTooth-Cleaners, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to rotary tooth cleaners which are detachable fromthe rotary driving means, and which are provided with detachable shieldsfor preventlng the clean ers from contacting with and irritating thegums and other sensitive portions of the mouth.

One object of my invention is to provide such a cleaner and shield whichshall be simple and inexpensive in construction, but reliable andefficient in operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide means whereby the cleanerand shield may be readily detached from their supporting means in orderthat a single supporting and driving means may be. used for a numher ofcleaners and shields.

Other objects of my invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my device;

Figs. 2 and 3 are side and top views, respectively, of the shield whenremoved from the holder; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional View of my device with the shield, driving meansand holder detached.

Referring to the drawing, 6 indicates a sleeve or casing, in which theshaft 7 is adapted to rotate. This shaft 7 may be drivcn by any suitablemeans, such for instance as the water motor described in my Patent No.1,228,897, granted June 5, 1917. Any other suitable driving means may,however, be employed. The shaft 7 extends only part way through thecasing (i, and is provided at its end with some suitable form of clutchface, as indicated at 8.

The holder or handle 9 surrounds the casing 6 and is provided with anannular groove as shown at 10. The sleeve or casing 6 may be fixed tothe inner surface of holder 9 as by soldering. The holder and casingthus form a support for the cleaning member and shield, as will now bedescribed.

The cleaning member comprises a brush.

or other suitable cleaner, such as indicated at 11, mountcd upon atwisted wire or other spindle 12. This spindle is surrounded by thecasing 19 and is firmly attached to rod 20, as shown at 21, so as toform one complete shaft or spindle. The spindle is provided at the end13 with a complemental clutch face adapted to cooperate with the face 8of the shaft 7, whereby when the end 13 of the spindle is inserted intothe end of the casing 6, it will be rotated by the shaft 7. The shield14 preferably comprises a spoonshaped housing for the brush, asillustrated, and the inner end is made of resilient material and isturned in at 15 so that it will slide into position on the holder 9 andbe firmly held thereon by the front wall of the annular groove 10. Theholder is tapered or reduced in size at its outer end to facilitateattachment of the shield which can be turned on the holder 9 so as tomore readily bring the brush into operative position. The opposite end16 of the housing is provided with a bearing 17 for the end 18 of thespindle 12, in order to firmly support the cleaning member and to holdit n alincment with the driving shaft 7. A ring 22 is formed on thecasing 19 in order to prevent water running back into the holder orhandle 9. Any water reaching this ring will be thrown off by centrifugalforce.

Part 7 is made of any flexible and tough metal but I prefer to usemanganese bronze. Parts 6 and 20 may be of any metal of considerablerigidity and strength, but are preferably of nickel-plated steel. Theoperation and method of use of my invention should be obvious from theforegoing. The apparatus is assembled by inserting the end 18 of spindle12 into the bearing 17 in the one end of shield 14. The other end ofshield 14 is then slipped onto the end 24 of case or handle 9 and thefree end of rod 20' inserted into the aperture in the part 24 and thusinto sleeve (3. As shield 11 passes further onto case 9, the half roundportion 13 of rod 20 must be turned so that it falls into complemcntalrelation to the half round end 8 of flexible shaft 7, the half roundedends thus forming an effective clutch for transmitting rotary motion dueto these ends be ing closely held by casing or sleeve 6. The shield 1-1is then forced more strongly against casing 9 so that the inturncd edge25 of the shield snaps into the groove 10 in the casing. therebysecuring the parts in operative relation. The device is held by thehandle 9. and by turning the shield 14 on the handle the brush mayreadily be this particular embodiment,'since obviously,

' manychanges may be made therein Without departing from the spirit ofmy invention. What I claim is: l. A rotary tooth cleaner comprising incombination a brush, a flexible'rotary shaft in driving relation to saidbrush, a handle covering the end portion of said shaft and having agroove. therein, and a slneld member having a resilient end portionsprung over the end of said handle and having an inturned edge rotatablyengaging in sa d --groove, said brush being journaled in said shieldmember at its outer end and in the handle at its inner end and saidshield member swiveling freely around said handle.

2. A'rotary tooth cleaner comprising incombination a rotary drivingshaft, a handle surrounding the end of said shaft, said handle havin apartially closed end with an aperture fherein for receiving a brushspindle, a sleeve Within said handle closely surrounding said shaft andextending beyond said shaft to the mouth of said aperture in the handle,a brush spindle projecting through said aperture into the open end ofsaid sleeve and into engagement with said shaft and substantiallyfilling said aperture, and a collar on said spindle immediately in frontof said aperture for preventing liquid passing into said handle and fortrans1nittingthe thrust of said spindle in one direction to the end ofthe handle.

3. A rotary tooth cleaner comprising in combination a brush, a flexiblerotary shaft for driving said brush, a handle covering the end portionof said shaft and having a groove therein, and a shield member having anend portion sprung over the end of said handle and having an inturnededge engaging in said groove, said shield member being rotatable on saidhandle, said brush being journaled in said shield member at its outerend.

HORACE E. FRAME.

